From the University Agenda

Expert warns: You may be addicted to social media!

Today, social media addiction has become a common problem that significantly affects the daily life and mental health of individuals. Clinical Psychologist Simay Yilmaz said, “Have you ever noticed that you lose yourself for hours while browsing social media? If you have had this experience, do not worry, you are not alone.”

Stating that although social media started to communicate with family and friends at the beginning, it turned into a hobby over time, Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology Res. Asst. Simay Yılmaz: "You may enjoy using social media and spend a long time of the day on social media, but do you think you are a social media addict?"

“Not every social media user is an addict”

According to the American Psychological Association, although social media addiction is not officially treated as a disorder, it is possible to talk about the physical and psychological effects of the harmful use of social media. Clinical Psychologist Simay Yılmaz added, “You may be using social media so much that scrolling photos and videos may hinder other areas of your life. Not everyone who uses social media develops addiction, but the increase in social media use is positively associated with the increase in social media addiction."

“You may be increasing your use of social media to get back to the prize”

Describing howsocial media is addictive, Res. Asst. Simay Yılmaz, “Every time you log in to your favorite apps on social media, the brain releases dopamine, which is associated with a sense of pleasure. When you experience more dopamine after using social media for a long time, the brain perceives this as a reward and wants to repeat the reward. However, as the dopamine that makes you feel good decreases, you may be increasing your use of social media to return to the reward.”

Addiction treatment is possible with EMDR!

Stating that the treatment of social media addiction differs according to both the level of addiction and the needs of the person, IGU Psychology Department Res. Asst. Simay Yılmaz: “EMDR is one of the recently used therapy methods in the treatment of social media addiction. EMDR is used as a treatment method developed by Shapiro in the 1980s for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. In recent years, it has been used in the treatment of addiction as well as in many psychological disorders. Addiction is generally associated with traumatic experiences and stress. EMDR treatment is also used to alleviate emotional distress caused by traumatic experiences and to address the main points that cause addiction in the person. With EMDR, it is ensured that the person remembers the triggering factors in addiction and re-processes emotional experiences.”

Social media addiction is a preventable and manageable problem, as in other types of addiction. Yılmaz concluded her words as follows: "However, it is very important for the person to be aware of this issue, to solve and manage the problem."